With over 125 models and a mind-boggling 1,000-plus variants, utility vehicle buyers in India are spoilt for choice. While a number of OEMs rolled out a number of model updates and variants, brand-new models from Mahindra, Tata Motors, Toyota, Kia and Skoda saw strong demand and contributed to the UV segment achieving record sales of 2.79 million units.
26 Apr 2025 | 557 Views | By Ajit Dalvi
Among the indicators of a healthy marketplace is the regular introduction of new products which helps to serve up some excitement in the form of expanded product choice to consumers and also rev up the competition. The utility vehicle market, which comprises SUVs and MPV, is a prime example of ...
This is an Autocar Pro Plus article. Subscribe to continue reading.
Among the indicators of a healthy marketplace is the regular introduction of new products which helps to serve up some excitement in the form of expanded product choice to consumers and also rev up the competition. The utility vehicle market, which comprises SUVs and MPV, is a prime example of this. While a good number of refreshed SUVs and MPVs as also variants of existing models were launched, FY2025 also saw a number of brand-new models being introduced
In FY2025, the passenger vehicle segment registered sales of a record 4.30 million units, of which 65% or 2.79 million units (up 11%) comprised UVs. As they have been doing for the past five years, UV sales buffered the sharp 13% decline in passenger car and sedan sales to 1.35 million units. What also helped the overall UV segment best-ever fiscal year sales was the introduction of around a dozen brand-new models, of which six sold over 10,000 units each and five are electric vehicles.
Let’s take a closer look at the top new UVs which have made a difference in FY2025. Not surprisingly, most of them were launched in September 2024, ahead of the festival season last year.
Launched: September 25, 2024
The five-door Mahindra Thar Roxx, launched in September 2024, tops the sales chart for new UVs in FY2025 with an estimated 37,834 units in the last six months of the fiscal. The Thar brand, which comprises the 3-door Thar and the new Thar Roxx, posted total sales of 84,834 units with the 3-door Thar accounting for an estimated 47,000 units over the 12-month period. This means the new Thar Roxx’s share of the Thar brand sales was 45 percent.
The five-door Thar Roxx, which won Autocar India’s Car of the Year 2025 award, appeals to a wider target audience as a more practical and more mainstream product than the already popular three-door Thar and has also taken the battle into many a rival’s camp. Expect it to be a key contributor to M&M in FY2026.
Launched: September 25, 2024
The Tata Curvv SUV-coupé, the eighth model in Tata Motors’ passenger vehicle portfolio and its fifth utility vehicle, clocked wholesales of 34,019 units in FY2025. Launched first in its electric avatar on August 7 and then by the petrol- and diesel-engined variants on September 2, the Tata Curvv was the third highest-selling UV for Tata Motors after the Punch (196,567 units) and the Nexon (163,089 units). The Curvv, which is offered with electric, petrol and diesel powerplants and aced the Bharat NCAP crash test with a 5-star rating, accounted for a 6% share of Tata Motors’ passenger vehicle wholesales of 569,245 units and 8% of its 432,667 UV dispatches in FY2025.
Launched: April 3, 2024
The Toyota Urban Cruiser Taisor, the youngest of the four rebadged models (Glanza, Hyryder, Rumion, Taisor) in TKM’s portfolio, is also the most affordable Toyota SUV – and also the smallest – in India with an aggressive starting pricing of Rs 773,500 (ex-showroom) for the base E MT variant.
With 32,378 units, the Taisor contributed to 10% of TKM’s record sales of 309,230 passenger vehicles and 12% to its UV sales of 258,537 units in FY2025. It was the third highest-selling Maruti-rebadged model for the company after the Hyryder midsize SUV and the Glanza hatchback last fiscal.
Launched: September 21, 2024
In FY2025, the MG Windsor EV sold 19,394 units. This MPV-styled eye-catching model has taken the passenger vehicle market, and in particular the EV segment, by storm in FY2025. Not only has the cool-looking product taken the battle into electric passenger vehicle market leader Tata Motors’ camp, but the tech-laden, spacious five-seater, all-electric MPV, which comes with a range of segment-first features, lounge-like seating and a lifetime battery warranty, has given a new charge to JSW MG Motor India’s sales.
Launched: February 1, 2025
The Syros, Kia India’s second compact SUV after the Sonet, sold 15,986 units in the January-March 2025 period and contributed 6% to Kia India’s sales of 255,207 UVs/PVs in FY2025, up 4% YoY. The Korean SUV manufacturer expects the sub-four-metre Kia Syros, whose rivals include the Tata Punch and Nexon, Maruti Brezza and Fronx, Hyundai Venue and Exter, Mahindra 3XO, as well as the new Skoda Kylaq, to give it a fresh charge and also help grow its UV share in India.
Launched: January 27, 2025
The Skoda Kylaq, which sold 10,205 units between January and March 2025, has given a new charge to the Czech automaker. The Kylaq accounts for a 23% share of Skoda Auto’s FY2025 sales of 44,868 passenger vehicles (up 1% YoY), helping it drive into positive growth territory. All the other three Skoda products’ sales were down – Kushaq (17,363 units, down 26% on FY2024’s 23,396 units), Slavia (15,588 units, down 18% on FY2024’’s 19,093 units) and Superb (49 units, down 66% on FY2024’s 146 units).
Priced from an aggressive Rs 789,000 (ex-showroom) through to Rs 14.40 lakh for the top-end variant, the strong market response to the Skoda Kylaq is expected to further improve in FY2026. The company has targeted monthly sales of 6,000-7,000 units and aims to more than double its current market share of 1% with its entry into the booming compact SUV segment.
Launched: November 26, 2024
Mahindra & Mahindra launched its much-awaited electric origin SUVs – the Be 6 and XEV 9e – in FY2025. Between January and March 2025, M&M produced 8,303 of these two models and dispatched 8,047 units to its dealers across the country, which translates into these two zero-emission models accounting for a 5% share of the total 149,129 SUVs the company sold in Q4 FY2025. The model-wise splits for the two e-SUVs are not available.
The two BEVs get 79kWh and 59kWh LFP Battery options. The 79kWh battery pack enables a certified range of 682km for the BE 6 and 656km for the XEV 9e with 79kWh battery pack. Charging from 20% to 80% takes just 20 minutes (with 175kW fast charger). The rear-mounted e-motor develops power of 210kW and delivers 380 Nm of instant torque to facilitate strong performance.
Launched: October 3, 2024
Notwithstanding the high sticker price of Rs 75.62 lakh (on-road Delhi), the luxurious Kia Carnival sold 1,361 units in the last six months of FY2025. The large diesel-engined MPV scores high on comfort and flexibility and goes all out to pamper its occupants to the hilt.
The Kia Carnival (Limousine) builds on the legacy of its predecessor, the Kia Carnival, while offering enhanced features aimed at redefining passenger comfort. A key highlight is the second-row powered relaxation seats, which provide ventilation, heating, and leg support to ensure a comfortable experience for passengers.
Launched: August 17, 2024
The Citroen Basalt, launched in August 2024, was the first product launched with coupe-SUV styling aiming to create a new sub-segment within the growing midsize SUV segment. The Tata Curvv was the second coupe-SUV to be introduced in FY2025. With only 1,465 Basalts sold over eight months, demand for the sole new Citroen model launched in FY2025 was underwhelming. While it remains a well-engineered product, the Basalt compares less favourably with more well-equipped feature-laden rivals like the Curvv.
Tata Punch to Toyota Taisor: Top 10 compact SUVs in FY2025
Hyundai Creta to Skoda Kushaq: Top 15 midsize SUVs in FY2025